Bacon, Veggie and Cheese Strata

Ingredients:

3 cups (packed) stale bread or rolls (just tear into roughly 1 inch pieces before measuring)

½ cup chopped bacon

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1cup sliced leeks or onions

1 cup frozen, quartered artichoke hearts, thawed

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

6 eggs

1 cup milk, cream or half and half

2 cups shredded cheese, your choice, divided (I used a combo of cheddar, Colby and jack)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup grated parmesan

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place the bread on the foil and bake for 15 minutes until dry. Spray a 2.5 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bread in the bottom. Increase the oven heat to 350 degrees F.

While the bread is toasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms, leeks/onions, artichoke hearts, spinach and red peppers to the pan. (if you want, you can season with a little salt and pepper here). Cook over medium heat until all the vegetables are soft and there is no liquid in the bottom of the skillet, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly so they don’t scramble the eggs.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk and salt and pepper (I used a teaspoon of salt and 8 turns of the pepper grinder). Whisk until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, all the veggies, and all the bacon. Pour over the bread cubes. Push down with the back of a wooden spoon and let sit for 15 minutes so the bread can absorb the liquid. Bake  for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining one cup of cheese with the sour cream and parmesan in a small bowl. After the strata has baked for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and spread the cheese/sour cream mixture over it in a thin layer. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly.

Get creative on me: This is the perfect dish to use up whatever you have in the fridge. You know those leftover hot dog buns that seem to accumulate? Use them. Change the veggies out, change the cheeses, leave out the bacon to make it vegetarian (just sauté the veggies in olive oil), or even add some red pepper flakes.